Naogaon Correspondent :
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Tuesday said that the rice price is stable across the country as the government kept the rice distribution programme uninterrupted for 50 lakh poor people.
“As per the electoral pledge of the ruling Awami League, the government is continuously distributing rice among the poor at a price of Tk 10 per kg, which has kept the rice price stable across the country,” he said while addressing a triennial council of the Awami League at Ghatnagar Union under Porsha Upazila in Naugaon district.
Claiming that the farmers are now getting fair price for their products, the minister said the country is not facing any irrigation crisis and that’s why the rice production has increased significantly.
He said farmers had to die for fertilizer during the BNP regime, but it is now easily available for the farmers.
Meanwhile, visiting different markets in the city, this correspondent found that the price of fine rice increased by six to seven taka while the price of medium rice soared by three to five taka per kg.
Miniket rice (grade 1) was selling at Tk 48 per kg on Tuesday morning against Tk 42 on Sunday.
Likewise, ‘Kajal Lata’ price rose from Tk 38 to 46 while that of Najirshail from Tk 50 to Tk 54, Basmati from Tk 46 to Tk 52 and the price of coarse rice shot up from Tk 35 to Tk 38 in the market.
Asked about the cause of rice price spiral, Ribon Gain, a rice trader of Jatrabari, said that the price was increased at the warehouse. Hanif Sheikh, a retail rice buyer, said he had pay Tk 6 to Tk 8 extra per kg.
“Why should the rice price go up in this season?” he questioned.
